North Korean leader anxious about military coup
Choe Ryong-hae, second from left, presumably North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's right-hand man, inspects the Poman Co-op Farm in Sohung County, Hwanghae Province, with other officials on June 5. / Rodong Sinmun
Kim Jong-un to leave regime in hands of his right-hand man during absence
By Yi Whan-woo
Choe Ryong-hae, who is believed to be North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's right-hand man, is expected to stay in Pyongyang during Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang.
They speculated last week that Choe, vice chairman of the North's ruling Workers' Party, would be in charge of the repressive state until Kim returns home from Singapore.
“Choe is the most likely figure to control North Korea in the absence of Kim,” a source said, pointing out that Choe hold several key titles.
He is also director of the Organization Guidance Department and a member of the Central Military Commission, the Political Bureau Presidium and the Central Committee.
Kim Jong-un is expected to stay in Singapore for at least a couple of days until the summit. And he worries that his trip could expose him to a military coup or other attempts to unseat him back home, according to the Washington Post.
Despite his reign of terror, Kim is believed to fear losing power after killing numerous figures since taking power in 2011, including his older half-brother Kim Jong-nam and his uncle Jang Song-thaek.
As head of state, he has only travelled abroad twice, both times to China in March and May, for summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He used a train for his first China trip as his late father and predecessor Kim Jong-il did to avoid possible assassination.
His second trip to China, by plane, was revealed to the public only after the meeting with Xi ended.
Choe is a member of the second revolutionary generation and personally knew Kim Jong-il for more than 50 years.
Choe was briefly suspended from his positions in the party from October to December, 2015, during which he was assigned for re-education and to a cooperative farm.
Meanwhile, he recently visited cooperative farms, a fish farm and a food factory in Pyongyang, following earlier visits to an auto assembly plant and a food factory in late May.
Choe inspected the Poman Co-op Farm in Sohung County, the Rinsan Catfish Farm, the Jongbangsan General Foodstuff Factory and the Migok Co-op Farm in Sariwon City, according to the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that Choe stressed the need for officials and agricultural workers to “raise the hot wind of scientific farming dynamically.”
Analysts said it was unusual for Choe to be involved in economy-related activities.
They speculated this might be because of Kim's last-minute preparations for the June 12 summit with Trump.
The visits came after leader Kim declared a shift in policy to focus on the economy instead of nuclear development. He revealed the change at the party's Central Committee meeting on April 20.
Experts speculated that Choe's increased economic activities were a part of North Korea's bid to encourage party officials to participate in economic development more acrtively.